Defending champions Puerto Rico Islanders will face Haiti’s Tempete FC in the final of the 2011 Caribbean Football Union Club Champions Cup on Friday evening at the Guyana National Stadium; the two sides registering hard fought wins last evening in semifinal action.
Home team Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United failed in their quest to upstage the defending champs and surrendered in extra time 3-1 in the second game of the double header card.
The first semifinal, another keen battle, saw Haiti’s Tempete FC defeating Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force 4-2 on penalty kicks after regulation and extra time ended with the teams not being able to score.
For the home supporters, the Alpha vs Islanders was billed as a potentially fierce battle and it lived up to that billing at rare intervals during the encounter, the experience and exposure of Puerto Rico taking them through to another championship game.
Tempete and Islanders automatically qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' League, while Defence Force and Alpha United will contest eachother for the final spot.
Alpha were guilty of not playing to their game plan and allowed the opponents too much space down the middle, the mental and physical fitness of the home team was severely tested with some of the players cramping up in the first and second periods of extra time.
Alpha started well with plays down the flanks which worked for them but the midfield fell away to the delight of their opponents.
The visitors took the lead in the 23rd minute through a Matthew Bouraee goal.
Puerto Rico played smart and patient football against the home team which made an early substitution with Shawn Bishop making way for Travis ‘Zorro’ Grant.
The change added some life to the midfield but it was the visitors which always looked threatening.
Nigel ‘Powers’ Codrington and Dwight Peters enjoyed a few good runs which kept the visitors on their toes.
The hard working Dwain ‘Duggin’ Jacobs it was who would pull Alpha Level 37 minutes on; he collected a pass from Codrington in the box tried a fake dribble to see what space he had to shoot and the resulting shot cantered into the back of the nets at the far post, goalkeeper Raymond Burse did not have a sniffer of a chance.
The goal brought the crowd to life and restored some confidence in the Alpha attack. The second half saw Head Coach Wayne Dover utilizing his other changes around the 60th minute, Devon Millington replaced Dwight Peters and two minutes later Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams came in for Codrington.
The exchanges continued with the defending champions creating more chances, Alpha’s goalie Ronson Williams once again stood as a quality player between the uprights saving some well taken shots.
While Alpha were feeling the effects of a rigorous game, Puerto Rico were gradually piling on the pressure and it was surely a matter of time for them to take the lead again aided by fact that the Alpha players did not stick to their game plan.
Extra time was needed to decide the winner and after the first 15 minutes still did not break the deadlock, Alpha cracked in the final 15 minutes. But by this time Williams was not his usual agile self since his right leg was injured which made him somewhat immobile.
The nippy former W Connection striker Jonathan Fana Frias in the 107th minute headed the ball past Williams with the entire defence caught watching the play and as it turned out the writing was on the wall.
Eight minutes later, the game was placed beyond the reach of the home team when David Foley who also was a thorn in the flesh of the Alpha team fired his shot from close range past the hapless Williams.
Moments later the final whistle came, it surely sounded sweet in the ear of the defending champs but not so for the home team which will now have to battle against Defence Force for the final available spot to the CONCACAF Champions' League, last evening’s winners already sealing their spots.
Tempete FC, having landed in Guyana on Tuesday night looked the better of the sides in their clash against the flat looking Defence Force, T&T Pro League Champions.
Tempete took the challenge to the Army side from the onset and the latter never seemed able to add their mark on the game.
While no goals were scored during regulation and extra time, Tempete dominated most of the play, Defence Force only have themselves to blame especially in the final 5 minutes of the game when Richard Roy missed two clear cut chances.
Tempete also hit the upright in the second half.
From the penalty spot, the T&T champs missed the final two of their four shots, while Tempete ensured they converted all theirs.
Junior Charles, Valdano Paul, Elie Paul and Changler Cadet the players on target for the Haitian team which became the first from its country to dump two T&T teams in the CFU Club Champions Cup; they also defeated Caledonia AIA on penalty kicks in Haiti to qualify for the semis.
Their goalkeeper Guerry Romondt saved one of the T&T penalties, denying Anton Joseph’s attempt. Going way over the cross bar was Rawle Fletcher, while the players to score were Roy and Kerry Joseph.
The battle will now be on for the final spot to the CONCACAF club tournament and promises to be a keen contest between Alpha United and Defence Force Friday evening from 6pm. The championship game features defending champions Puerto Rico Islanders and Tempete FC.